Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Question for feminist readers

Why do so many women who consider themselves feminists insist on writing their names entirely with lower case letters? Over the course of the past twenty years, that practice has become a convention of the BDSM world, signifying submission.

These days, eschewing upper-case initial letters does not carry an e.e. cummings vibe. The message you're conveying is more along the lines of "Pull my hair while making me kneel."

Maybe they don't know what the conventions of the BDSM world are? I didn't, nor do I much care. Of course, I usually don't sign my online "name" in all lower-case letters, either, though sometimes I miss the shift key and don't bother to correct it.

You have asked that question before and I wondered about it then. I never heard anything about it being a trend or to signify anything, but I don't consider myself a feminist(that's a whole other subject), so I may have not gotten the memo.I do sign in with a lower case "name", but it isn't my real name and it isn't even a name as much as a "signature" that I always use online.

posted by beeta : 7:49 PM

Are you talking to me? In the blogosphere I sign my comments bluelyon. So? I wouldn't know the conventions of the BDSM world if they reared up and ... well, you know.

I am a feminist - also unaware of the conventions of the BDSM. The fact that my online name is in the lower case is not a reflection of my perception of myself or of the importance feminist ideals hold for me. Honestly, using lower case allows me to type just a nano-second faster. No conscious or subconscious issues. Using lower case does not diminish my strong feminist views.

freespirit

posted by Anonymous : 8:18 PM

lowercase conventions of BDSM -- news to me. Possibly I need to get out more.

Funny, I AM a feminist, and yet I was just noticing that over at Corrente, I'm one of the few in the "Who's Online" list who capitalizes his or her name. Maybe that makes me a 'D' feminist?

Is the percentage of self-identified feminists who sign lowercase much different from the percentage of women generally who sign lowercase? Seems like a lot of women just use lowercase. That might have gendered implications, but not be about feminists as distinct from women -- it's just that the two groups correlate substantially.

So what is "feminism" anyway, except the belief in women's equality? Who doesn't believe in the full equality of women? So isn't everybody around this blog a feminist, regardless of whether they use caps or not?

posted by Anonymous : 9:45 PM

News to me regarding the BDSM. Does myego2xu know??? I'm not sure nyms qualify as names, and depending on the age of the poster, there may be other factors. Still, good to know.

According to scroogle, BDSM is bondage, domination, sadism, masochism. I'm not sure what it has to do with how one signs one's name, either in the blogosphere or in real life. And I'm not sure why that would be of concern outside of the BDSM world.If indeed it is indicative of anything, in typing, it is easier and faster for non typists to use lower cast. In snail mail, it's an affectation, because I believe most people always capitalize their names appropriately. Perhaps I've missed the point of the post? I'm just a lurker, after all, but this one was a puzzlement. BTW, as one can see, I capitalize my online identity - guess that means I'm an egomaniac? A Dominatrix? Or just someone who wanted to be clear about my onscreen name without any jokes?

I think, perhaps, this says more about you then it does about people who post their names in lowercase. I'm guessing that for many--if not most--people, lowercase overuse is a symptom of the growth of texting. For others, it is like casual friday. For some, it is still like e.e.cummings. I don't think most people are even vaguely aware that a small subset of the population that takes sexual pleasure from being bullied, degraded and abused mark themselves by lowercase. Question for you: why would you even bother to post this question?

posted by Tiro : 4:30 AM

For me, writing in lower case will always be the sure sign of a lousy poet.

I use three initials. Whether it appears as lower or upper case depends on whether or not the CapsLock key is engaged at the time. Thanks for the meaning of "BDSM" -- had no idea. Which brings me to a question for you -- why do so many bloggers use acronyms instead of spelling words out? Where I come from, it's a sign that the writers are LAZY (colon end parantheses).

posted by tle : 11:38 AM

what bluelyon said, it matches my email name & it's easier.

I first used it at the DailyKos & if I had realized that those 'guys' treated people with non-female-usernames with respect and people with female-sounding names with derision then I would have chosen an entirely different username.

Feminists are all different. I am a feminist, totally clueless about BDSM and could not care less(unless, of course, someone of that persuasion is seriously injured, maimed or dies). My political-news comment persona is more relaxed (I hope) than my usual self and lower case seems to reflect that.

But thanks for caring, Joseph, about your fellow feminists.

djmm

posted by djmm : 10:13 PM

Isn't the real question why so many men are risking carpal by using the shift?

Sure you say, he is rand-ambi-dextrousness. But that doesn't mean he doesn't occasionally lose the post he was drafting in notepad. Here is the reconstruction, let us call it the drugless Al Hubbard version. To summarize:

MartyD in ChiTown, please include content in future posts. Three years and waiting, and have discovered I have more interesting family than you.

"Get your hands off me you crazy ape!" I still hear Hartman's voice when I sleep.

I like your family, like the beast (but please avoid future excrement shots) and I like McGee, but where is Sergei Rostov? He was somehow related to you, right?

And lastly for historical shite and giggles...Virginia M's Promis is a keyword in systems of my lives past. And the RNC's email was collected in 2006 before the DNC knew it was missing. But in times of war, it is an unimportant read. Please, don't let this blog succumb to the same fate with posts like this.